Warner brings calm after turbulent Test

There was a time, in a previous life not-so-long-ago passed, when David Warner might have been expected to wade into the troubled waters currently flowing between Australia and India's Test teams and add greatly to the turbidity.

But in the new role of diplomat and statesman that Warner has adopted now that he sits just a hamstring tear away from his country's Test captaincy, he is instead acting as conciliator.

Playing down the tensions between the fierce rivals who resume battle in the third Test of this four-match Qantas Tour of India at Ranchi on Thursday, and airing his expectation that it will be the spirit of cricket rather than its spite that is on show when the series resumes, intriguingly tied at 1-1.

There are even some suggestions floating around the Bengaluru hotel where many of the Australia players have spent their handful of free days prior to training resuming tomorrow, that Warner might meet with the Dalai Lama ahead of the final Test at Dharamsala in the Himalayan foothills, where His Holiness now resides.

The almost serious premise being that 'The Reverend', as Warner has become known within the team since taking his very public vow of positivity, might have some valuable tips on serenity to share with Tibet's exiled spiritual leader and the global face of Buddhist enlightenment.

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Certainly the man whose heated clash with India opponents Virat Kohli and then Rohit Sharma during India's previous Test and ODI tour to Australia, the latter sparking a call from Cricket Australia's Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland for Warner to ‘stop looking for trouble', now wears a vastly changed outlook.

"If people get on the wrong side of me, I'm not going to back down," Warner said at the time of his spat with Rohit, in defence of his combative on-field demeanour.

But in the wake of one of the more incendiary Test matches of recent times, which led to public acknowledgments of wrongdoing, still unsubstantiated accusations of systematic rule bending, tit-for-tat communiques from the opposing team's powerbrokers, but no charges laid for tainting the game's public image, Warner has preached for peace.

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And as the flak slowly dissipates and the raised dust settles ahead of the next stampede at Ranchi later in the week, he downplayed the level of tension that has simmered since the second Test raced to its conclusion last Tuesday.

"It was an interesting Test match to be a part of, and I think it was a great one for cricket as in the cricket being played," Warner said of the second Test which India won by 75 runs despite being marginally outplayed across the first two days.

"There were a few niggles here and there and off the field, but at the end of the day we're professionals and you have to move on from that stuff.

"Hopefully both teams will come out and play with the spirit of cricket."

The closest Warner came to stirring the pot that bubbled over in the immediate aftermath of the Bengaluru Test was to air his thoughts on rival captain Kohli's explosive post-match comments.

In which Kohli claimed he twice witnessed the Australia team flagrantly breaching the playing conditions of Test cricket by seeking off-field input into their on-field discussions about the DRS system.

Accusations that have still yet to be expanded upon with specific details, or tested for their veracity.

But in effectively raising half an eyebrow to Kohli's comments, which the India captain declined to confirm or deny was an accusation of cheating, Warner also pointed out his team had already moved on and were not about to let the kerfuffle distract them from their job.

Of bouncing back from the Bengaluru loss when they get to Ranchi, best known across India as the birthplace of former captain MS Dhoni.

And, in the eyes of many Indians when asked about what awaits in the capital of Jharkhand state, not a lot more.

"I can only speak on behalf of our Australian cricket team and the way we approach the game and approach the off field (public utterances)," Warner said today when asked if the team felt aggrieved by Kohli's claims.

"I'd be pretty upset if one of our players or staff did that.

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"But there's going to be a lot of niggles here and there around certain things, and I think just a few people got out of hand and I think everyone has reined it back in again.

"So we're looking forward to getting out to Ranchi and playing a great brand of cricket."

The 30-year-old was even able to laugh off observations that he might have some cause to feel aggrieved about the absence of any punitive action from the ICC in the wake of the occasionally spiteful Bengaluru Test.

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In light of the fact Warner pleaded guilty and was fined 15 per cent of his match fee in South Africa three years ago when he implied at a media conference that Proteas' wicketkeeper AB de Villiers was engaged in a ‘sharp practice' in relation to the way he handled the ball when it was in his gloves.

A claim that Warner subsequently acknowledged came without the requisite level of proof, and therefore deserved to be punished.

"I've moved on from what's happened in the past," Warner said as he trotted out his favoured ‘it is what it is' mantra.

"We just all ask for consistency, and that's all we can ask for and it's in the ICC's hands.

"It's out of my control.

"I've been there before, but I've moved on from that.

"It's always in the back of my mind.

"I always get a bit frustrated, but I deserved what happened.

"At the end of the day, if someone else deserves that it's up to the ICC.

"I'll just sit back and watch, and just laugh."

Test Squads

India (for third and fourth Tests): Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade

Australia's schedule in India

Feb 23-27, First Test, Pune - Australia won by 333 runs.

Mar 4-8, Second Test, Bengaluru - India won by 75 runs.

Mar 16-20, Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29, Fourth Test, Dharamsala